The misuse and abuse of prescription drugs have become an epidemic in the United States over the last few decades. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “The number of people who died from a drug overdose in 2021 was over six times the number in 1999,” and “The number of drug overdose deaths increased more than 16% from 2020 to 2021.” These are serious statistics that require serious solutions. But the good news is that help is available for prescription drug addiction.

The Prevalence of Prescription Drug Addiction

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), from psychotherapeutic prescription pills to prescription pain relievers (and everything in between), over 35 million people abused prescription drugs in 2021. Much of this abuse has led to serious issues of long-term addiction.

Also, these statistics don’t represent the scope of the more concentrated problem of prescription opioids in the United States, particularly the highly concentrated synthetic opioids like fentanyl. According to the CDC, “Fentanyl and other synthetic opioids are the most common drugs involved in overdose deaths. Even in small doses, it can be deadly,” and “Over 150 people die every day from overdoses related to synthetic opioids like fentanyl.”

Prescription drugs like fentanyl are also being incorporated into many other illicit drug markets and causing people to overdose without them ever knowing what they were taking. For example, according to the United States Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), “42% of pills tested for fentanyl contained at least 2 mg of fentanyl, considered a potentially lethal dose.” People becoming addicted to prescription drugs are also much more likely to engage with other types of substances as the potential for getting these types of drugs may become harder to get than heroin or cocaine, for example.

Women and Prescription Drug Addiction

It has been shown that women are more likely to abuse prescription drugs than men. According to NIDA, “Women are more likely to seek treatment for misuse of central nervous system depressants, which include sedatives sometimes prescribed to treat seizures, sleep disorders, and anxiety, and to help people fall asleep prior to surgery. Women are also more likely than men to die from overdoses involving medications for mental health conditions, like antidepressants… Because women are also more at risk than men for anxiety and insomnia, it is possible that women are being prescribed more of these types of medications; greater access can increase the risk of misuse and lead to substance use disorder or overdose.”

Also, women have specific factors that make them less likely to seek treatment. One of the most common reasons that women avoid seeking help from a doctor is that it has been shown that women are less likely to be believed or taken seriously than men in medical settings. Also, women who struggle with prescription drug addiction who become pregnant avoid seeking treatment due to the fear of judgment and potential repercussions. According to NIDA, “Unfortunately, it can be difficult for a person with a substance use disorder to quit, and some women with such disorders fear that seeking help while pregnant or afterward could cause them legal or social problems.”

The Dangers of “As Needed” and Prescription Drugs

Many people are becoming addicted to prescription medication due to the excessive administering of such medications. According to the CDC, the number of drugs “provided or prescribed” each year is over 1 billion.

Now, many people who are prescribed potentially addictive medications are also done so with very loose instructions and an unreasonable amount of refills. This is the “as needed” conundrum. When an individual is given the instruction “take as needed,” it leaves an open window for abuse, and this abuse commonly leads to addiction.

Many people with co-occurring mental health and addiction issues are also prescribed prescription medications with loose instructions. This is dangerous as the potential to abuse these medications goes up significantly in people who have previously struggled with addiction. These individuals also have a much greater likelihood of justifying their overuse of prescription medications as they are “technically” following the doctor’s instructions.

Healing From Prescription Drug Addiction

The good news is that there is a solution for prescription drug addiction. It begins with contacting a reputable recovery center, like Painted Desert Recovery, for help.

Utilizing a multi-angled recovery approach that focuses on mind, body, and soul, an individual can heal from a prescription drug addiction physically, mentally, and spiritually. This includes utilizing therapies such as experiential, group, and equine therapies.

Many people also often need to detox off of prescription drug addictions, and doing so in a safe and secure setting is essential. This includes replenishing the nutrients that many people with prescription drug addictions are severely lacking. A healthy nutritional therapy program is one of the best ways to make this replenishment happen.

Maintaining Long-Term Recovery From Prescription Drug Addiction

The iconic author Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “What lies behind you and what lies in front of you, pales in comparison to what lies inside of you.” This is emblematic of what long-term recovery is all about.

Long-term recovery is all about looking forward to the future and not getting mired down in the problems of the past. As long as we keep taking the next right step, our recovery can continue to strengthen and grow.

Recovery is about the journey, never the destination. For those looking to recover from prescription drug addiction, there may be no better place to begin that journey than right here at Painted Desert Recovery.

Presently, there is a serious prescription drug addiction problem in the U.S. It tears apart families and devastates individual hopes and dreams. However, there are solutions to help people recover. For more information about how to recover from addiction, please reach out to Painted Desert Recovery today at (844) 540-0353.